Chime signal



L. RITTENHOUSE CHIME- SIGNAL April 7, 1942.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I INVENTOR. iiienkazqs'e,

Filed Sept. 18, 1940 Z J BY 7 W W AP 1942- L. RITTENHOUSIE 2,278,587

CHIME S IGNAL Filed Sept. 18, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 iv- 74 3 Patented Apr. 7, 1942 3 CHIME SIGNAL Lloyd Rittenhouse, Honeoye Falls, N. Y., assignor to The A. E. Rittenhou'se 00., Inc., Honeoye Falls, a corporation of New York Application September 18, 1940, Serial No. 357,305

4 Claims. (Cl. 177-4) This invention relates to a chime signal, with reference particularly to the type of construction that employs a vertically positioned chime bar with electrically operated striker mechanism and a depending resonance chamber that extends downwardly below the chime bar, and the invention has for one of its purposes to afford a practical, economical, and efficient construction that lends itself especially to such a signal employing a plurality of chime bars and resonance chambers.

A more particular object of the invention is to aiford a construction that enables the utilization of several chime bars and resonance chambers, three for instance, in such relation as to present a harmonious, symmetrical, and attractive design in which the parts are compactly related so that the unit occupies a minimum of space from side to side and from front to back.

Another purpose of the invention is to afford a mechanism that permits successfully locating z.

the lower ends of chime bars Within resonance chambers while the upper ends of the chime bars and the striker mechanisms are located above the resonance chambers, thereby utilizing the available space with maximum eificiency and making it possible to locate the resonance chambers in juxtarelation to each other and in close horizontal relationship to the supporting panel on which the chime bars and striker mechanisms are mounted, reducing to a minimum the amount of cross-sectional space occupied by the structure and presenting a pleasing and attractive appearance.

A further object of the invention is to aiford a structure of the character mentioned in which the chime bars are not visible but are entirely concealed by the upper ends of the resonance chambers and the surmounting housing or cover, thus affording an arrangement that lends itself to any desired combination of resonance chambers, in which the appearance of the chime bars may be disregarded.

Still another purpose of the invention is to provide a simple and practical construction for locating one end of a chime bar within a resonance chamber, whereby the resonance chambers may be suitably located in vertical position, with each chime bar having its lower end and lower nodal point positioned in the upper end of the depending resonance chamber, within which the lower end of the chime bar vibrates, due to striking a portion of the chime bar located above the resonance chamber.

Still an additional purpose of the invention is to afford a practical and economical structure for supporting a series of chime bars and their striker mechanisms together with a solenoid timing mechanism for governing the interval between the operations of the individual striker mechanisms, all of these .parts being compactly arranged and firmly secured on a supporting panel.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts that will appear clearly from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, the novel features being pointed out in the claims following the specification.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation, the removable housing or cover appearing in section, showing a preferred embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation looking from right to left of Fig. 1, the removable housing appearing in section;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, looking from right to left of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 44 of Fig. 1, looking downwardly;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3 looking downwardly, with the chime bar removed, and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the closures, which forms the upper end of a resonance chamber.

Referring more particularly to the drawings in which like reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the several views, the invention may be carried out in a variety of ways, and in the illustrated embodiment, which is an example of one practical adaptation, there are shown three chime bars with a striker mechanism and resonance chamber for each, although it will be understood that the invention is not restricted to any particular number of chime bars and associated parts.

The parts are all mounted on a supporting panel or plate I adapted to be attached in any suitable fashion to a vertical supporting surface,

and 2 designates a vertical wall having end portions 3 terminating in the inwardly bent flanges 4 which are welded 'or otherwise attached to the supporting panel I. The vertical wall 2 constitutes a support for the chime elements, shown in the form of bars 5, each of the chime bars being mounted upon a post 6 secured to the vertical wall 2 and extending through a bushing l of rubber or other suitable resilient material located in an opening in the chime bar and atfording a yieldable supporting means to permit vibration of the bar when struck, while 8 is a nut threaded on the post 6 for holding the chime bar thereon.

Each chime bar 5 extends downwardly into a resonance chamber which, in the embodiment illustrated, is formed by a hollow body 9 of cylindrical or other shape that may be closed at a point above its lower end by a plug I and at its upper end by a plug H. The closures or plugs I0 and II have annular flanges such as I2 by which they are secured to the inner surfaces of the tube 9 as by welding, and the plug II is provided with a rectangular opening I3 through which the chime bar extends into the resonance chamber, the opening I3 being located at the forward part of the closure, as shown in Fig. 5. In order to hold the lower end of the chime bar in proper position and suitably spaced from the surrounding edges of the opening I3 in the plug II, a lug I4 is provided on the plug II and extending into the opening I3. The lug I4 is arranged to enter a rubber bushing I5 carried in an opening in the chime bar 5, the rubber bushing I5 being sufficiently compressible to permit the chime bar to be forced by a slight pressure against the lug I4 until the lug enters the opening in the bushing, as shown in Fig. 3.

In this fashion, each chime bar is supported and free to vibrate with reference to its two nodal points when struck in the manner that will be described presently, and the lower portion of the chime bar being within the cylindrical tube 9 and the resonance chamber, in no way interferes with the positioning of the resonance chambers. This makes possible a more compact arrangement and a more symmetrical and pleasing design of resonance chambers than has heretofore been possible. The lower end of each chime bar vibrates within its resonance chamber and is located opposite an opening I6 provided in the front wall and near the upper end of the resonance chamber.

The tubes 9 are preferably formed of metal and with their edges overlapping as at H, see Fig. 5, the increased body of metal thus afiorcled being provided with a threaded opening to receive a bolt I8 that is secured to the supporting panel I and extends through a spacing member I9 and acts to hold the tube 9 in place. The several tubes 9 forming the resonance chambers are arranged preferably in juxtarelation to each other as shown, and are attached to each other, by welding their contacting surfaces, to afford a rigid and strong assembly.

This provides a pleasing and space-economizing arrangement made possible by the location of the chime bars with their lower ends extending into the resonance chambers, and the latter relationship also enables securing the resonance tubes in close relationship to the supporting panel I with the chime bars located thereabove in parallelism in a plane and extending into the tubes between planes tangential to the front and back of the tubes, so that the entire assembly occupies a minimum space from front to back and from side to side, determined by the diameter of the tubes and irrespective of the size of the bars.

Each chime bar 5 is arranged to be engaged by a striker tip 2I of suitable construction, carried by a plunger 22 that forms part of the solenoid 23, the latter being secured between the vertical wall 2 and an intermediate vertical wall 24, see Fig. 3, the ends of which are designated at 25 and secured in any convenient way as by welding them to the inner surfaces of the end walls 3 of the vertical wall 2, see Fig. 4. Each plunger moves through an opening 26 in the vertical Wall 2 and a similar opening in the wall 24 to engage its chime bar, and each solenoid plunger is retracted to its normal position by a spring 21 connected to and surrounding it, and seated between the intermediate vertical wall 24 and a rubber bumper 28 located in a recess in the supporting panel I, the bumper 28 serving as a cushion for the end of the solenoid plunger when the latter is retracted after striking the chime bar. 30 is a removable housing or cover positionable over the upper ends of the resonance chambers and the striker mechanisms and chime bars to conceal the same.

In order to strike the several chime bars in succession, a suitable timing mechanism is employed that is contained within a cylindrical housing 3|, see Fig. 2, the lower end of which rests upon the upper edge of the vertical wall 24, see Fig. 1, while 32 designates a metal clip attached to the supporting panel I and engaging over the surface of the timer housing 3| to hold it in place against the supporting panel. The detailed construction of the timing mechanism within the housing 3| forms no part of the present invention, and is the subject matter of a separate co-pending application Serial No. 357,304, filed September 18, 1940.

A chime of this general character, playing four notes successively, is in great public demand, and this invention makes it possible to build such a chime having three resonance chambers and chime units in an unusually pleasing design that presents an attractive appearance, occupies but little space, and can be manufactured at a low cost.

While the invention has been described with reference to certain structural details, it is not so limited, and this application is intended to cover any modifications or departures coming Within the purposes of the invention and the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a chime signal, the combination with a supporting panel and a resonance chamber in the form of a hollow body, means for mounting the resonance chamber on the panel, the chamber being parallel to and extending forwardly from the panel, of a transverse closure in the chamber adjacent to the end nearest to the panel, said closure having an opening therein, a vibratory bar in alinement with and extending outwardly from the panel, the inner end of the bar extending through the opening in said closure into the chamber and the outer end of said bar being outside the chamber, the chamber having an opening opposite the inner end of the bar, an electrically operated striker mechanism outside the chamber and including a striker engageable with the bar at a point outside the chamber, and means for mounting the vibratory bar and striker mechanism on the panel.

2. In a chime signal, the combination with a supporting panel and a group of resonance chambers, each of the chambers being in the form of an elongated hollow body, means for mounting the chambers on the panel, the chambers being in parallel juxtarelation to each other and parallel to, in alinement with and extending forwardly from the panel, a group of vibratory bars arranged parallel to each other and parallel to, in alinement with and extending outwardly from the panel, each bar corresponding to one of said chambers and being located partially thereabove, a vertical wall on which said vibratory bars are mounted, said vertical wall being located above the resonance chambers and attached to the supporting panel, and a group of electrically operated striker mechanisms located above the-resonance chambers and secured between said vertical wall and the supporting panel, each striker mechanism including a striker engageable with one of the vibratory bars at a point outside the resonance chambers.

3. In a chime signal, the combination with a supporting panel and a group of resonance chambers, each of the chambers being in the form or" a hollow body, means for mounting the chambers on the panel, the chambers being in parallel juxtarelation to each other and parallel to, in alinement with and extending forwardly from the panel, a group of vibratory bars arranged parallel to each other and having portions lo cated above the resonance chambers, said bars being parallel to, in alinement with and extending outwardly from the panel, each bar corresponding to one of said chambers, a vertical wall above the resonance chambers upon which said vibratory bars are mounted, means for supporting said wall on the panel in spaced relation thereto, an intermediate vertical wall carried by the supporting panel and located in spaced relation between the panel and the first mentioned vertical wall, a group of electrically operated striker mechanisms including solenoids secured between said vertical walls, each striker mechanism including a striker engageable with one of the vibratory bars and movable through openings in the vertical walls, and a spring retractor connected to said striker and located between the supporting panel and the intermediate vertical wall.

4. In a chime signal, the combination with a supporting panel and a group of resonance chambers, each of the chambers being in the form of a hollow body, means for mounting the chambers on the panel, the chambers being in parallel juxtarelation to each other and parallel to, in alinement with and extending forwardly from the panel, a group of vibratory bars arranged parallel to each other and having portions located above the resonance chambers, said bars being parallel to, in alinement with and extending outwardly from the panel, each bar corresponding to one of said chambers, a vertical wall above the resonance chambers upon which said vibratory bars are mounted, means for supporting said vertical wall on the panel in spaced relation thereto, an intermediate vertical wall carried by the supporting panel and located in spaced relation between the panel and the first mentioned vertical wall, a group of electrically operated striker mechanisms including solenoids secured between said vertical walls, each striker mechanism including a striker engageable with one of the vibratory bars and movable through openings in the vertical walls, a spring retractor connected to said striker and located between the supporting panel and the intermediate vertical wall, said intermediate wall being of less height than the first mentioned vertical wall, and

a solenoid timing mechanism secured to the supporting panel and arranged between the panel and the first mentioned vertical wall immediately above said intermediate vertical wall.

' LLOYD RI'I'IENHOUSE. 

